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Product:
  Black Lagoon Figure 001 - Revy

Product Type:  Display Figure

Number of Figures in Range:  1

Manufacturer:  Banpresto

Suggested Retail Price (SRP):  £20

Purchased from:  Neon Martian

Rarity:  Rare

Reviewer:  Rich (Webmaster)
 

When I last reviewed a Black Lagoon figure it was shortly after merchandise manufacturer Jun Planning went bust, and considering they held merchandise rights this made future figures seem unlikely.  However, you can't keep a good franchise down, and with the anime returning with a new OVA series (Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail) We finally have some new Black Lagoon merchandise too!

The merchandise released to support the new series includes t-shirts and even jewellery, but it's the figures that will probably interest most fans so that's what we'll look at!  This figure is a little unusual when compared to many imported from Japan, as that it was originally designed to be a prize in a 'UFO Catcher' arcade machine.  UFO Catcher is the (somewhat odd) Japanese name for those claw grabbing machines you find in some arcades, and generally these prize figures don't get exported.  However, Neon Martian imports them on a regular basis, which gives you the opportunity to get hold of something a little rarer than normal.
 

Despite being prizes for arcade machines the quality of these figures is usually comparable to full-priced premium figures, and this Black Lagoon one is no exception.  The figure is once again of Black Lagoon's poster girl Revy, but unlike Jun Planning's figure this one depicts her in her normal outfit of t-shirt, shorts and boots.  The figure comes fully painted but in two halves, the only assembly required being to slot her legs and torso together and connect her feet to the pegs on the supplied base.  Once assembled the figure stands approximately 6" (17cm) tall, which is a smaller scale than most premium figures but in line with other Banpresto prize figures such as the One Piece Grand Line Men range.

 Like I said earlier the quality of these prize figures is often comparable to premium figures, but it must be said that Banpresto have really been excelling themselves of late.  The design of this figure is spot-on, and the paint application clean and sharp - particularly on the eyes and tattoo.  However, what really shines on this figure is the sculpting.  Banpresto have really gone to town on this, with superb detail on the guns and clothing even down to the creases in her t-shirt.  However, it's the sculpt of her body that's the most impressive.  Extreme detail usually missing from figures like this are visible, from her the line of her collarbone to the sinews of her wrists and - most impressively - the muscle tone of her legs.  It's simply stunning, and not that common even on premium figures.


There are a couple of downsides, the smaller size is a bit of a shame as a full-size (25-30cm tall) figure would be awesome, and it's disappointing to find the figure's copyright marks on the back of the t-shirt.  Even though it is pretty unobtrusive, couldn't the have put it somewhere that would normally be covered such as the bottom of the feet?  Admittedly this is nitpicking, as personally I'm just glad that Black Lagoon merchandise is being made again.  This Revy figure is an excellent representation of the character and a great cheaper alternative to a premium figure.  The sculpting is superb, and although its size may see it dwarfed by some normal-sized figures there are plenty of prize figures of a similar scale available through retailers like Neon Martian or online stores such as Play Asia.  In fact this figure is the first of three Black Lagoon prize figures Banpresto have made, with ones of Roberta and Gretel following over the next few months, and on this evidence they will soon be joining Revy on my shelf!

Extras:

A plain, black plastic base.  And that's it.  It's a real shame they never printed the Black Lagoon logo on it or put some texture on it or something, but it's decent enough.

Ratings

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